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June to August are Hong Kong’s shopping months. The super sale happens this season and both tourists and locals clamor for designer bags, shoes, clothes, beauty products, and almost anything that pleases their fashion taste. This is the time when we have to fall in line outside the Chanel and Prada shops and wait for our turn inside. Queueing is normal during this season as everyone wants to get hold of the very attractive bargains. :)

True enough, designer items slash up to 50% off their original prices making them more reasonable to buy (at least for most of them). I can imagine all the brand conscious people rejoicing and jumping up and down already, including my friend (ninang)Clare who loves designer bags and shoes! :)

2. Our good ‘ol hotel that never fails to please: Caritas Bianchi Hotel along Yau Ma Tei Nathan Road. Stayed here twice already and I’m still pleased with it. Very good location (close to the MTR and convenience stores), good service, good breakfast, big rooms and nice bathroom for a three star hotel. I’m definitely staying here again. Nevermind the four-star or five-star hotels with popular names. They even have smaller rooms compared to Caritas Bianchi’s.

3. Shopping was of course the highlight of the trip so we can’t do without it. We shopped and hopped from one store to the other all day and all night. Hello, sore feet!

Okay so where do I begin? We visited Citygate Outlets at Tung Chung. Unfortunately, we didn’t find any good buys except for a pair of Giordano jeans and the super cheap luggage at the Samsonite outlet store. The items were cheap but I just couldn’t find anything that matches my taste. :( So guess where I got to shop a lot…where else but H&M and Cotton On, my go-to HK brands! :) I also hoarded Clean and Clear oli films and a few face masks at Bonjour! They’re so cheap in HK yay! I also got to buy some stuff in Uniqlo even if we already have it in Manila. Zara Philippines is > Zara HK so I didn’t get to buy anything. :( Then there’s City Super of course for food items. Bossini didn’t have much good stocks this season. COS opened in HK a few days before we got there and the clothes were adobrable but overpriced. :(Longchamp had cheap bags and wallets and I got tempted to buy. Even the Ferragamo flats and Prada heels from the outlet store tempted me so badly. Waah I had to resist temptation! Clare on the other hand bought exesnive goodies like the Gucci bag, another Rimowa luggage, Tory Burch flats, the precious Garrett popcorn, Jean Paul Hevin macarons, and that cute Ferragamo hair clip. :)

4. Being a girl with a 300-lber appetite, food is an integral part of a trip for me. I MUST visit my country faves and I MUST try new stuff. :) Having said that, we drove to Causeway Bay for my all time favorite HK resto, DIN TAI FUNG! Yipee! Happy Tummy! :) I ordered Xiao Long Bao, Spicy Shirmp Dumplings, and Scallion Noodles all to myself! $160 worth of DTF goodness! Ahh yummeh :) Then we tried the super cute Charlie Brown Cafe at Cameron Road. This awesome concept shop had great food, good service, and really nice and cute catroony ambiance. We had fun eating while taking photos and felt like kiddos haha! Cafe De Coral is another staple for HK trips. Roast duck, Roast Goose, Baked Spaghetti, Soy Chicken… I think I’ve aleady eaten all of the items in Cafe De Coral’s menu! Hahaha! :)

5. In order for trips to be fun, a significant factor is your company, whom you spent the trip with. Since it was a shopping trip, the perfect companion would be your girlfriends! :) Jelibelly and Clarebear are my Friday lunch girls – my good friends from my former office. We know a lot of things about each other and share so many stories including gossip hahaha and we’re comfortable with each other’s company! They are such generous friends for arranging this trip as their engagement gift/despidida de soltera gift for me!!! Aren’t they sweet??? :) Thanks, girls! I hope they enjoyed as much as I did. :)

So, when do you think am I going back to Hong Kong? :) I’ll give you a prize if you can guess!